title: Mycoestrogen pollution of Italian infant food.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the concentrations of zearalenone and its metabolites in the leading brands of infant formula milks and meat-based infant foods commonly marketed in Italy, and to assess their repercussion in the provisional tolerable daily intakes of these estrogenic mycotoxins.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 185 cow's milk-based infant formulas and 44 samples of meat-based infant foods samples were analyzed. The analysis of mycotoxins was performed by immunoaffinity column clean-up and high-pressure liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Zearalenone was detected in 17 (9%) milk samples (maximum 0.76 μg/L). The α-zearalenol was detected in 49 (26%) milk samples (maximum 12.91 μg/L). The β-zearalenol was detected in 53 (28%) milk samples (maximum 73.24 μg/L). The α-zearalanol and β-zearalanol were not detected in milk samples. Although α-zearalenol was detected in 12 (27%) meat samples (maximum 30.50 μg/kg), only one meat-based sample was contaminated by α-zearalanol (950 μg/kg). Zearalenone, β-zearalenol, and β-zearalanol were not detected in meat samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows the presence of mycoestrogens in infant (milk-based and meat-based) food, and this is likely to have great implications for subsequent generations, suggesting the need to perform occurrence surveys in this type of food.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinics, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Meucci
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Soldani
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Razzuoli
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Saggese
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Massart
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food / Q000032:analysis* / Q000506:poisoning; D041943:Infant Formula / Q000737:chemistry*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis* / Q000506:poisoning; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000506:poisoning; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015025:Zearalenone / Q000032:analysis* / Q000506:poisoning
chemical_list: D015025:Zearalenone